High performance garment and use of the same

ABSTRACT

A garment including a waist and a sub-waist is described. The sub-waist is adapted for covering a pelvic region of a wearer. One or more of a hypogastric region, a left iliac region, and a right iliac region of the garment includes reinforcing padding. A portion of the garment can also include an inner facing and an outer facing, wherein padding is secured between the inner facing and the outer facing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/697,164, filed Jul. 12, 2018, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed generally to high performance garments.

BACKGROUND

Participants in activities including sports, water sports, and fishing use various accessories to increase comfort or performance during the activities. For example, belts or harnesses can be worn to assist in supporting or securing various sporting equipment or other objects (e.g., fishing belts). However, these types of accessories can be bulky or cumbersome, and alternatives are needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a garment including a waist and a sub-waist adapted for covering a pelvic region of a wearer. One or more of a hypogastric region, a left iliac region, and a right iliac region of the garment includes reinforcing padding. A portion of the garment can also include an inner facing and an outer facing, wherein padding is secured between the inner facing and the outer facing. The inner facing and outer facing can also be secured together to form a pocket, sleeve, or enclosure adapted for securing padding therein. The inner facing, outer facing, and padding can be secured together.

The garment can include a sub-waist that does not include padding.

The waist of the garment can be discontinuous and adapted to be releasably secured together.

The padding of the garment can include a foam material. The padding can include a resilient material. The padding can include a polymeric material.

The garment can be selected from the group consisting of shorts, pants, skirts, and culottes. The garment can include a pair of legs.

The padding of the garment can be thicker proximate the hypogastric region than proximate the hips.

The garment can also include padding that does not extend to the posterior of the garment. The garment can also include padding that does not extend to portions of the garment covering the perineum or buttocks.

The waist of the garment can be adapted for covering an abdominal region of the wearer.

The garment can also include a waistband.

This invention is also directed to a garment including a waist adapted for covering an abdominal region of a wearer and a sub-waist adapted for covering a pelvic region of the wearer, and the abdominal region of the garment can include reinforcing padding. The garment can include a sub-waist that does not include padding. The garment can include hip and thigh regions that do not include padding. The abdominal region of the garment can include a hypogastric region, a left iliac region, and a right iliac region. The garment can include left iliac and right iliac regions that do not include padding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully disclosed in, or rendered obvious by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are to be considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts and further wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment, in accordance with some embodiments described herein.

FIG. 2A is a sectional view of the garment along the II-II plane in FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments herein. FIG. 2B is a sectional view of the garment along the II-II plane in FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments herein. FIG. 2C is a sectional view of the garment along the II-II plane in FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments herein.

FIG. 3A is a front view of the garment showing reinforcement padding, in accordance with some embodiments described herein. FIG. 3B is a front view of the garment showing reinforcement padding, in accordance with some embodiments described herein. FIG. 3C is a front view of the garment showing reinforcement padding, in accordance with some embodiments described herein. FIG. 3D is a front view of the garment showing reinforcement padding, in accordance with some embodiments described herein.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the garment, in accordance with some embodiments described herein. FIG. 4B is a front view of the garment, in accordance with some embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In this description, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly,” “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both moveable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise, and includes terms such as “directly” coupled, secured, etc. The term “operatively coupled” is such an attachment, coupling, or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship.

In some embodiments, a garment (1) including a waist (2) and sub-waist (4) is provided. In some embodiments, the garment (1) can be adapted for covering a portion of the abdominal region and the pelvic region of a wearer. In some embodiments, the sub-waist (4) can be adapted for covering the pelvic region of a wearer. In this context, the “pelvic region” refers generally to the lower part of the trunk of the human body between the abdomen and the thighs covered by shorts or pants. In some embodiments, the garment (1) can be adapted to cover one or more of the hypogastric region (10), the left iliac region (12), and the right iliac region (14) of a wearer. In this context, the anatomical references relate to portions of the garment that cover the corresponding anatomical portions of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the garment (1) includes reinforcing padding. In some embodiments, the garment (1) can include reinforcing padding in areas adapted to cover one or more of the hypogastric region (10), the left iliac region (12), and the right iliac region (14) of the wearer. See FIGS. 3A-D. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3B, the waist (2) includes reinforcing padding (28) and sub-waist (4) includes reinforcing padding (24) and (26). In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, the waist (2) includes padding (28) and the sub-waist (4) does not include padding. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3C, the waist (2) does not include padding and the sub-waist (4) includes padding (22), (24), and (26). In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3D, the waist (2) does not include padding and the sub-waist (4) includes padding (24) and (26). In some embodiments, a waistband (20) is present, and the waistband includes padding (28).

In some embodiments, the padding can comprise a polymeric material. In some embodiments, the reinforcing padding can comprise a foam material. In some embodiments, the padding can comprise a resilient material. In some embodiments, for example, the padding relates to a resilient material that is not present over a majority of the pelvic region. In some embodiments, the padding does not extend to the posterior of the garment. In some embodiments, the padding does not extend to portions of the garment covering the perineum or buttocks. In some embodiments, the padding does not extend to the leg components of the garment (1).

In some embodiments, a portion of the garment (1) can include an inner facing (3) and an outer facing (5). See FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the inner facing (3) and outer facing (5) can be removably or permanently secured together. In some embodiments, padding is secured between the inner facing and the outer facing of the garment (1). For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 4B, the inner facing (3) and outer facing (5) of waistband (20) can be secured together to form a pocket, sleeve, or enclosure adapted with an opening (34) for inserting and securing padding (28) therein. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4A, the inner facing (3) and outer facing (5) can be sewn together with stitching (30) to enclose padding. In some embodiments, the inner facing (3) and outer facing (5) can be glued together. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A, the inner facing (3), outer facing (5), and padding (28) can be removably or permanently secured together. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2B, the inner facing (3), outer facing (5), and padding (28) can be sewn together with stitching (30). In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2C, the inner facing (3), outer facing (5), and padding (28) can be glued together with an adhesive (32).

In some embodiments, the padding can have the same thickness throughout its placement in the garment. In some embodiments, the padding can have differentiated thicknesses throughout its placement in the garment. In some embodiments, for example, the padding is thicker or thinner proximate the hypogastric region (10) than proximate the left (12) and right iliac (14) regions. In some embodiments, for example, the padding can be thicker or thinner proximate the hypogastric region than proximate the hips.

In some embodiments, the waist (2) can be discontinuous and is adapted to be releasably secured together. In some embodiments, for example, the waist (2) is releasably secured together using one or more hook and loop fasteners (e.g., the fabric sold under the brand name Velcro), a zipper, one or more buttons or snaps, a lace-up tie, an elastic cord, etc. In some embodiments, the sub-waist (4) is discontinuous and can be adapted to be releasably secured together. In some embodiments, for example, the sub-waist can be releasably secured together using one or more hook and loop fasteners, one or more buttons or snaps, a lace-up tie, a zipper, etc.

In some embodiments, the garment includes a waistband (20). In some embodiments, the waistband (20) can be discontinuous and adapted to be releasably secured together. In some embodiments, for example, the waistband (20) is releasably secured together using one or more of a zipper, one or more hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, a lace-up tie, etc.

In some embodiments, the garment (1) includes a pair of legs components (18) and a perineum region (16). In some embodiments, the garment (1) is selected from the group consisting of shorts, pants, skirts, and culottes. Accordingly, the garment is not intended to be an undergarment.

The garment (1) can be made out of any suitable material or fabric, including natural or synthetic materials. In some embodiments, the material can be made from one or more kinds of fabric. In some embodiments, the fabric can be a natural fiber (e.g., cotton, silk, etc.), a synthetic fiber (e.g., polyester, nylon, acrylic), including specialty synthetic fibers (spandex, rayon, etc.), or a combination of natural and/or synthetic fibers (e.g., di-blend, tri-blend, polyblend).

In some embodiments, a unique, high performance fabric can be used for the garment (1). In some embodiments, the fabric is antimicrobial, utilizes recycled fibers, exhibits good wicking properties, is stain-resistant, and/or provides UV protection. In some embodiments, the fabric may be particularly adapted for outdoor use. For example, an angler can spend much of the day in direct sunlight, where the SPF/UPF properties are particularly helpful. In addition, wicking and antimicrobial properties can be beneficial for dealing with sweat and contact with other fluids encountered while fishing. Finally, the antimicrobial and stain resistant properties are particularly helpful when the angler is cleaning a fish, manipulating live bait, or when spills occur. Examples of such fabrics are sold under the brand name SCALESkin.

The garment (1) can be worn by persons expecting to rest an object on the hypogastric (10), the left iliac (12), and/or the right iliac (14) region(s) of the wearer. For example, an angler who has hooked a fish may want to rest the butt of a fishing rod on or around his or her hypogastric region while reeling the fish in. In some instances, the reel may be held at a particular angle (e.g., about 45 degrees) so that the rod and drag of the line can tire the fish. During the time it takes to reel in a fish, the angler may want to rest the butt of the rod on his or her waist to conserve arm strength and avoid muscle fatigue. The garment (1) includes padding (28) that can absorb some or all of the weight and angular pressure resulting from the rod being rested on the wearer's waist. Padding (28) can be secured, for example, to the waist (2) and/or sub-waist (4) of the garment (1) such that the butt of a rod does not apply pressure and cause pain to the wearer's bones or muscles around the abdomen and/or pelvic regions. Further, wearing garment (1) provides the wearer with an additional advantage because accessories such as a fishing belt will not be needed.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Although the subject matter has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments, which may be made by those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment, comprising a waist; and a sub-waist adapted for covering a pelvic region of a wearer, wherein one or more of a hypogastric region, a left iliac region, and a right iliac region of the garment comprise reinforcing padding.
 2. The garment of claim 1, wherein a portion of the garment comprises an inner facing and an outer facing, wherein padding is secured between the inner facing and the outer facing.
 3. The garment of claim 2, wherein the inner facing and outer facing are secured together to form a pocket, sleeve, or enclosure adapted for securing padding therein.
 4. The garment of claim 2, wherein the inner facing, outer facing, and padding are secured together.
 5. The garment of claim 1, wherein the sub-waist does not include padding.
 6. The garment of claim 1, wherein the waist is discontinuous and is adapted to be releasably secured together.
 7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding comprises a foam material.
 8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding comprises a resilient material.
 9. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding comprises a polymeric material.
 10. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is selected from the group consisting of shorts, pants, skirts, and culottes.
 11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment comprises pair of legs.
 12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding is thicker proximate the hypogastric region than proximate the hips.
 13. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding does not extend to the posterior of the garment.
 14. The garment of claim 1, wherein the padding does not extend to portions of the garment covering the perineum or buttocks.
 15. The garment of claim 1, wherein the waist is adapted for covering an abdominal region of the wearer.
 16. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a waistband.
 17. A garment, comprising: a waist adapted for covering an abdominal region of a wearer; and a sub-waist adapted for covering a pelvic region of the wearer, wherein the abdominal region of the garment comprises reinforcing padding.
 18. The garment of claim 17, wherein the sub-waist does not include padding.
 19. The garment of claim 17, wherein hip and thigh regions of the garment do not include padding.
 20. The garment of claim 17, wherein the abdominal region of the garment comprises a hypogastric region, a left iliac region, and a right iliac region. 